It Was A Dreamy Stormy Night
by iloveromance
Summary: An extremely romantic and dreamy rewrite of "Midwinter Night's Dream".
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is a completely fictional rewriting of one of my all time favorite episodes, so some of the details may not be true to the show. However, this is a _dreamy_ version, so I hope any "inaccuracies" won't be very noticeable!**

As I changed out of my wet clothes, I shivered from the sudden cold. But I couldn't help but wonder if my chills were from my being soaked as a result of the horrific storm brewing outside my window...Or from thinking about my now-estranged wife.

Sadly, I feared that it was the latter.

Ever since the appalling "pirate incident", Maris has been impossible to live with.

I'm ashamed to say that I was somewhat relieved when she announced that she was fleeing to her favorite spa in Arizona.

Still, I couldn't help but think that this was my entire fault.

But actually that would be wrong; I blame Frasier for this fiasco. He's the one who suggested the role-playing nonsense!

I was just trying to spice things up a bit, but instead I've reduced our marriage to ruins.

Thank God for Dad, though. I know I thought his idea to do something romantic for Maris was ludicrous at first.

She would never accept my attempts at cooking dinner. But that's where Daphne came in.

She graciously offered to come over and make dinner and in return I promised to have her home in time for her date with Eric.

Eric, Eric, Eric! Just the sound of that man's name made me cringe! Imagine, the nerve of him hitting on my Daphne!

Well, she wasn't really _mine_, per say.

Still, I can't help but think that she deserves someone so much better than that... community college barista!

I glanced at the clock and shivered once more. Daphne was due here any minute. One look in the mirror told me that my attire would never do.

Quickly I reached into my closet and pulled my burgundy smoking jacket over my clean white shirt and dark slacks. Hopefully Maris would find my choice of clothing suitable for a romantic dinner.

In my mind it was perfect.

I only hoped this evening would be just as perfect. Maris would come home to a wonderful, romantic dinner and afterwards would be so happy that she'd shower me with kisses and lead me to the bedroom where she'd show me her gratitude by...

Well, let's just say that I'm grateful for the romantic touches I insisted that we add to our bedroom when we got married.

The thought of a passionate union with my wife caused me to shiver. The more I imagined it, the more I was certain that a reconciliation was bound to happen. I loved Maris and I was bound and determined to make our marriage work.

After all, I married her for better or for worse, right?

Outside the thunder crashed, causing me to jump in alarm. Seattle hadn't seen a storm like this in years! Oh why, tonight of all nights, did I have to subject Daphne to such horrible weather?

Thank goodness she had the use of Dad's car, although I use the word _car_ lightly. It was more like a heap of scrap metal with wheels... and it was an American made car at that! Imagine!

Still, it served it's purpose, I suppose.

I was just coming downstairs when I saw a flash of headlights from the large picture window, and immediately my heart began to beat faster.

For it meant that my angel... my goddess would soon grace my doorstep with her divine presence.


	2. Chapter 2

With a trembling hand, I unlocked the door. Normally, this would be Marta's job; letting our guests in. But when I learned that this storm was on the horizon, I ordered the house staff to go home and be with their families.

Maris was sure to be furious. After all, we were paying them good money. But Maris wasn't here. I'd just deal with those circumstances when she returned.

_If_ she returned.

I forced the thought from my mind. Of course she'd come back... eventually.

The doorbell rang again and I winced, realizing that I'd been deep in thought. My heart skipped a beat as I thrust open the door.

Imagine my surprise when I saw her standing before me, shivering like a small child.

"Daphne..."

"H-hello, Dr. Crane."

"Dear God, you're soaked!" I said, quickly ushering her inside.

"I-I'm sorry, Dr. Crane. I tried to park closer but I tree fell down in your driveway."

"Oh, Heavens!" I said, reaching out to touch her forearm. "Are you hurt?"

She smiled then. "That's very sweet of you, Dr. Crane, but I'm fine... _For the most part_."

The last words were so faint I could barely hear them, and I couldn't help but wonder if they weren't meant for my ears.

"Come in where it's warm. I hate to think of you standing out in that cold, wet weather."

"Thank you, Dr. Crane."

"I have a fire burning in the fireplace, if you'd like to warm yourself." I offered.

"I think I will." She said.

When she removed her coat, I hung it on the coat rack and watched as she walked over to the fireplace, holding out her hands to warm herself. Her damp hair hung in waves down her back and in her black pants, crocheted vest and long sleeved shirt; she was the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen.

To my surprise she whirled around to face me, as though she knew I'd been watching her.

"Oh... I'm sorry, Dr. Crane. I'll get dinner started right away!"

"No rush at all. Maris won't be home for a... while now." My breath caught in my throat when she ran her fingers through her hair in an incredibly sexy way.

It looks like the fire is down to its last embers." I said when I noticed her rubbing her arms in front of my fireplace.

"I'll just bring down some more wood, and then I'll show you the kitchen so that you can get started on dinner."

"All right." She said.

I started up the stairs and turned to look at her. "I really appreciate your doing this, Daphne and I'll make sure you get home in time for your date with Eric."

I'd taken no more than three steps when I heard an unmistakable sound.

When I looked over, my heart fell.

For, to my utter dismay Daphne sat on my sofa, her hands buried in her face.

I was filled with sadness, just watching her.

My goddess, my angel... was crying.


	3. Chapter 3

Forgetting all about the wood, I quickly rushed to her side and sat down on the sofa.

"Oh, Daphne."

"Dr. Crane, I'm afraid I won't be goin' on me date after all."  
>I couldn't help but smile.<p>

"Of course you will. Don't worry about a thing. I promise I'll have you home in plenty of time."

To my dismay, she began to cry harder and fell against my chest, leaving me no choice but to comfort her. When I draped my arm around her, she snuggled against me, almost inconsolable.

"Daphne, what's happened?"

She looked at me with tear-filled eyes and it took every ounce of strength I had not to kiss her deeply.

But oh, how I wanted to take her in my arms.

"Oh Dr. Crane, it's Eric!"

"What about him?"

Her lower lip began to tremble. "H-he broke up with me."

Immediately, my heart went out to her. "He did?"

Wordlessly she nodded and began to sob again.

Daringly, I pulled her closer, trying with little success to ignore the scent of her hair; the sensuous aroma of sandalwood that caused my desire for her to increase to dangerous levels. But I couldn't think about that right now.

All I could think of was how deeply my angel was hurting and at that moment I would have done everything in my power to take away her pain.

"I'm so sorry, Daphne." I said for lack of something better to say. Then I added. "I probably shouldn't say this, but he's a fool to hurt you this way."

At this, she lifted her head. "Thank you, Dr. Crane. I'm sorry to be cryin on your shoulder like this."

"Nonsense, Daphne. You're hurting and I just can't bear the thought of it."

"It's my own fault, really." She said. "I guess I just wanted this relationship more than he did. He said that he wanted to focus on his music. Boy was that a lie! I've heard his music!"

I had to look away to hide my soft chuckle at her unintentional humor.

When I returned my gaze to her, my smile disappeared at the sadness in her eyes. "Were you in love with him?" I dared to ask.

She looked at me, and I couldn't stop myself from brushing a tear from her cheek with my thumb.

"I-I think I was. And maybe I still am."

I nodded with complete understanding. "No wonder you're hurting. Love hurts... especially when the person you love doesn't love you in return."

She smiled and took my hand, causing a shiver to run through my body at the touch of her soft, silky skin.

"You always know the right thing to say."

Little did she realize that I was speaking from experience. At that moment, I truly didn't know whether Maris loved me or not.


	4. Chapter 4

"I did love him, Dr. Crane." Daphne was saying. "I couldn't stop thinking about him. I couldn't sleep, couldn't eat... and I bought meself all new underwear."

I swallowed hard, unable to believe what I'd just heard.

_Dear God..._

Had I been holding a glass of sherry at that moment it would have surely crashed to the floor. I could feel myself turning all shades of pink.

"I really thought he loved me. I wanted him to... so badly." She said. "Maybe I'm just not someone that people can love."

At her words, my heart began to race. "Oh Daphne, on the contrary. There are plenty of people who love you."

"Really? Like who?"

Again I swallowed hard. "Well... your parents and your brothers. Frasier and Dad."

_And me_. I added silently.

"That's very sweet Dr. Crane but I meant _romantic_ love. You know, the passionate love that makes your heart skip a beat whenever see the person; a feeling like no other."

I fidgeted uncomfortably on the sofa. "My... it's... still rather chilly in here isn't it?"

"I am a bit cold." She admitted.

"Why don't you go upstairs to Maris' room and change into something more comfortable, and I'll throw your clothes into the dryer."

She rose from the sofa and smiled, placing a gentle hand on my shoulder.

"I can't thank you enough, Dr. Crane."

I watched, never taking my eyes off of her as she walked up the stairs and turned to me.

"Pick anything you'd like." I called.

When she disappeared, I hurried to the bar and poured myself a sherry, downing it within seconds.

"Here are me clothes." She said descending down the stairs in my bathrobe.

The sight of her caused the room to spin. "I'm sorry. I wasn't sure where Maris' room was."

"Oh of course, how silly of me." I said. "Go down the hallway, seventh door on the right. Across from mine."

"I'll be right back." She said, moving past me. When her arm brushed against mine, I felt my knees go weak.

"Just take your time." I said, hoping she didn't hear the nervousness in my voice. "I'll just put these into the dryer and they'll be ready before you know it."

I hurried across the vast mansion to the maid's quarters, trying to remember where the laundry room was.

Oh, how I wish I had paid attention!

I was mere seconds from calling Marta to get her to refresh my memory, when

I caught a whiff of the all too familiar laundry detergent that had been in Maris' family for generations.

Feeling victorious, I opened the dryer, deciding at the last minute to give Daphne's clothing a thorough washing, so I carefully read the labels and started a wash.

Fortunately her clothes were such that it took minimal separating and thus fewer loads.

Quickly I dashed for the living room hoping that she wasn't waiting for me, sighing with relief when I was proven right.

"I'll be right down, Dr. Crane." Daphne called from staircase, hidden from my view.

"I know Maris' style of clothing differs greatly from yours, but I'm sure you'll find something suitable. And besides, it's only temporary. Your clothes will be ready soon."

"I hope this outfit is okay."

She descended down the stairs, but she wasn't wearing the outfit I imagined she'd pick. Instead of something from Maris' wool collection, she was wearing something entirely different. She wore an all too familiar white silk nightgown with spaghetti straps and a sheer robe.

I remember vividly how I'd run to the store after one of my many fights with Maris, hoping to find something suitable for an apology.

When the helpful sales associate at Nordstrom showed me the lingerie section, I took one look at the nightgown and purchased it immediately. I couldn't wait to show it to my wife.

But to my dismay, I returned home to find a note informing me that she'd decided to spend the week in Aspen so as to avoid anymore confrontations.

And so it sat, untouched in the realms of her closet for years.

Until now...

I stared at Daphne, unable to believe that what I was seeing was real.

Holding a lit candle in one hand, she looked more like an angel than I ever imagined. I looked her up and down, taking in every inch of her appearance.

"Do I look okay, ?"

I opened my mouth to speak but no words came out.

And seconds later, everything went black.


	5. Chapter 5

"Dr. Crane? Dr. Crane, are you all right? Please, speak to me!"

Slowly I opened my eyes and tried to focus, wondering why the room was so dark-except for the vision in white in front of me.

Was I dead?

Because if this was Heaven, I hoped all angels were as beautiful as the one stroking my cheek.

But this was no ordinary angel. She looked... familiar.

"Daphne?"

The worried look on her face disappeared when I said her name, surprising myself with how weak I sounded.

When she smiled my heart beat faster.

"Oh, thank goodness you're okay. I was so scared! I thought I was going to have to call 911, and in this storm there's no tellin' how long they would take. And your brother and father... they would be furious if they knew I let something happen to you."

"What... What happened?"

"I'm afraid you fainted, Dr. Crane. Thank God I came down the stairs when I did."

She really was an angel. Not only had she come over in this horrible weather to help me save my marriage, but she had quite possibly saved my life.

"Bless you... Daphne."

"Dr. Crane..."

"Why is it... so dark in here?" I asked, noting the lit candles which surprisingly gave this cold, unfriendly mansion a most romantic mood; something Maris rarely if ever enjoyed.

"The storm knocked the electricity out." She said, just as a clap of thunder hit.

I tried to sit up, wincing in pain.

"Don't try to move too much." She said, stroking my hair. "Just relax."

"I'm sorry I've caused you so much trouble, Daphne. I'm sure you had better things to do tonight, other than coming to my rescue.

To my horror, she began to cry again.

"Oh, Daphne..."

This time I sat up, ignoring the throbbing pain in my head.

I forced myself to get up and walked over to the sofa to sit down, gesturing for her to do the same. Immediately she sat next to me and leaned against my chest, like a cat wanting attention.

"I'm sorry." She said tearfully. "I don't mean to keep cryin' like this. Eric and I had only been on a few dates. It's not like we were a couple or anything."

Instantly I forgot all about my physical pain and focused on her emotional pain, something that, I knew from experience, hurt much worse.

"But you cared about him, Daphne. I know how much that hurts... loving someone and not having them love you in return." I prayed that she wouldn't realize that I was talking about her. She was vulnerable enough right now.

"I'm afraid that I drove your brother and father crazy, talking about him all the time, so I'm sure they'll be happy to know that he's not in my life anymore."

My head began to throb, and I knew it wasn't from my fall but from my absolute stupidity.

How could I have been so insensitive, yelling at Daphne when she brought up Eric at Frasier's? Why, it's a wonder that she didn't hate me!

I felt my mouth go dry and I would have given anything for a glass of wine. But at that moment, in the darkness, with Daphne crying on my shoulder, I didn't dare get up.

Instead I decided to tell her the truth.

"Daphne, I'm afraid I'm the cause of your pain."

The admission hurt me deeper than I thought possible and I braced myself for her reaction.

She looked at me in astonishment. "Dr Crane, please don't say that! You couldn't possibly hurt me more than Eric has."

I swallowed hard. "On the contrary, I might have hurt you more."

To my surprise she reached over and touched my cheek. "No, Dr. Crane. You couldn't."

"Daphne, I'm ashamed of myself and my emotional outburst at Frasier's when you mentioned Eric. I'm so sorry."

She smiled and kissed my hand. "You're so kind, Dr. Crane; and so generous and sweet."

I could feel my cheeks burning.

"Thank you, Daphne."


	6. Chapter 6

In the candlelight, we sat in comfortable silence; Daphne's head on my chest. While outside, the rain fell in sheets, as though reminding me of the secluded haven I was sharing with the woman I so deeply loved-but had no idea of my love for her.

"Oh Dr. Crane, I don't mean to be burdening you with my problems." Daphne said. "You should be spending this evening with your wife. Where is Mrs. Crane anyway? Shouldn't she be here by now?"

Amazingly until that moment I realized that I'd forgotten all about Maris. Suddenly I couldn't wait to see her. As much as I relished this heavenly night with Daphne, I was determined to make amends with Maris, no matter what the cost.

"You miss her, don't you?" Daphne asked as though reading my mind.

I turned to her, knowing that I couldn't lie.

I do, actually." I said, suddenly worried about my wife. "It is strange that she hasn't called. I wonder what's keeping her. I hope she's not out in this horrible storm."

As if by eerie coincidence, the phone rang.

"Oh... that's probably your brother wondering what's keeping me so long." Daphne said. "He's bound to be furious."

"Nonsense. I'll take care of everything." I said, picking up the phone.

"Niles Crane."

I was filled with both relief and annoyance when I heard Maris on the other end, burst into an endless rant.

"Maris... Maris, slow down! What are you saying?"

I listened intently, seemingly unaware of the emotions that I was conjuring up.

"What do you mean you can't come home? I've been waiting for you for hours and... Maris I told you repeatedly that I was sorry about that! Well, I'm sorry if I embarrassed you in front of the upstairs maid, but I was only trying to-... No Maris, Frasier suggested that we try- Maris? Maris, please listen to me! I love you and-. Well the storm's not that bad and-."

A clap of thunder followed by lightening contradicted my statement and I pleaded with her to reconsider.

"I can have a car waiting for you at the airport and I'll be right by the door ready to escort you into the house and- Oh... I see... Well... all right, Maris. But I really am sorry. I love-."

The dial tone buzzed in my ear, resounding like an out of tune symphony.

Feeling defeated, I returned the phone to the base and sighed. But I refused to let Maris make me an emotional wreck.

It was then that I noticed that Daphne had risen from the sofa and was walking around the room, admiring the objects on our fireplace mantle.

"This is a beautiful clock!" She said.

Grateful for the distraction, I tried to smile.

"Oh, that... It's a glockenspiel. Maris and I bought it on our honeymoon in Zurich. It used to make beautiful music and now it doesn't. How's that for irony?"

When she looked at me, the smile on her face disappeared and was replaced with a look of genuine concern; a look that made me fall in love with her a million times over. I'd seen her give that look to Dad a hundred times before when he would complain about his hip.

I bowed my head, ashamed of feeling so depressed over something so trivial. But there was no denying that I was hurt by Maris' disregard for our marriage.


	7. Chapter 7

"Dr. Crane? What's wrong?" She put down the glockenspiel and hurried to the sofa; sitting down beside me.

"Oh Daphne..." I said, horrified when I heard my voice start to break. When she put her arm around me, I leaned on her shoulder, fully aware of the irony.

Mere moments ago, I'd comforted her over a lost love on this very sofa; in this very manner.

She looked at me with concern and moved toward the sofa, sitting down beside me.

"She's not coming home is she?"

I shook my head sadly.

"No. She says the storm is too bad and she can't possibly leave the warmth of sunny Arizona to come home to such dreadful weather. But..."

"But what?"

At that moment, I wished her psychic powers would be strong enough to finish my thought. That way I wouldn't have to say the words that fell heavy in my heart.

I sighed, faintly aware of my staggered breathing; a sure sign that tears were on the horizon.

"Oh Daphne... I'm a failure." I said, grateful to have spoken the words I'd kept bottled up inside me since that dreadful pirate incident occurred.

"Dr. Crane..."

When I looked into her eyes, she brushed a lock of hair from my face and took me in her arms.

I melted against her; the scent of her hair making me dizzy. Her hand went up and down my back providing a comfort that I had no idea existed.

"You're not a failure, Dr. Crane; far from it. And if Mrs. Crane can't see that..."

"But it's true, Daphne. I've tarnished our marriage by doing something I'll regret for the rest of my life."

"I'm sure you're being much too hard on yourself." Daphne said.

I lifted my head, and sighed.

"You're much too kind." I said, looking away in shame.

"If you want to talk about it, I'm listening." She said with an adorable grin.

I wanted to laugh. It was such a clever use of a much over-used phrase that my brother relished.

But at that moment all I wanted to do was cry.

"Please tell me, Dr. Crane. Your brother's always sayin' if you keep things bottled up, it makes it worse. I promise I won't tell a soul."

I was silent for a long time, my head bowed to the expensive Persian rug beneath us. I wanted to tell her... oh how I wanted to tell her... but after the way Dad and Frasier ridiculed me, I just couldn't do it.

When I felt her rubbing my back, I sighed.

"Please?"

She spoke the word so sweetly, that I couldn't help but comply.

"All right." I said.

I took a deep breath and rose from the sofa, pacing the darkened living room.

"Well, I told Frasier about my problems with Maris and he suggested we do some role-playing. So I decided to take it one step further. I bought a ridiculous pirate outfit and carefully constructed a treasure map so that she could find me in this monstrosity of a mansion; the prize being of course... me."

I saw her eyebrows rise. "Wow, sounds excitin'."

I was sure my face was the shade of her lipstick, and at that moment I was thankful for the flickering candlelight to hide my embarrassment.

"So what happened?"

Dear God, she was absolutely going to be mortified when I revealed what I had done.

"Well, it's rather humiliating if I do say so and I'm afraid you'll think badly of me."

She laughed then. "Oh, Dr. Crane, I could never think badly of someone I care about."  
>What?<p>

I couldn't have heard her correctly. I must have hit my head when I fainted.

"Go on... tell me."

I sighed deeply. "All right. Well, I was in the upstairs closet, waiting for Maris to find me-."

"In your pirate costume." She finished.

I swallowed hard. "Well, not exactly."

"What do you mean?"

"I wasn't exactly wearing my entire outfit." I admitted.

I saw her touch her neck; a sure sign of embarrassment.

"Oh... I see."

"So there I am waiting in the closet for Maris to find me when I hear footsteps.

I prepared myself for her reaction. All of a sudden the closet door... flung open and I gasped in horror when I saw the upstairs maid staring at me."

"Then what happened?" Daphne asked, looking at me with genuine interest.

"Well I'm afraid that she was completely traumatized by the ordeal. She flew into a rage, screaming at me in what I told Frasier I think is Guatemalan. And with that, she stormed out of the house. The next thing I know, Maris storms up the stairs and ordered me out of the house!"

"She threw you out?" Daphne said, almost yelling the words.

"Yes, so I was... forced to spend the night at Frasier's."

I didn't bother to mention that I'd seen her come home from her date with Eric. I knew that would only serve to upset her.

"Thank God your brother and father were there. What a humiliating thing to go through!" Daphne said.

"Well, sadly they didn't provide much comfort." I said. "In fact, they inadvertently made things worse by ridiculing me and making jokes."

"What?"

"I suppose I deserved it. After all I didn't exactly follow Frasier's advice precisely." I said miserably.

"That's no excuse for them treatin' you that way! You'd been hurt by your wife; thrown out of the house and then embarrassed. Family is supposed to love you no matter what!"

I smiled at this woman with whom I was falling in love even deeper than I thought possible.

"I'm so sorry you're hurting, Dr. Crane." She said quietly.

I stared at her, amazed at how the flickering candlelight enhanced her beauty even further.

I reached out and caressed her cheek. "I love you, Daphne."

I saw her gasp lightly at my bold admission and before I could stop myself, I leaned foreword and kissed her.


	8. Chapter 8

My lips lingered on hers for much longer than I intended and it took all the strength I had to draw back.

I stared at Daphne, aghast at what I had done.

Dear God... My angel was vulnerable, and hurting deeply and I let my emotions get the best of me. I could feel my heart racing wildly and I was sure that she could feel it too.

I looked into her eyes, trying to decipher what she must think of me, but it was a hopeless venture.

My mind reeled, trying to think of the right words, but none came. Instead I began to ramble;

"Daphne... Oh God... I'm so sorry. I just..."

"Shut up, Dr. Crane."

I blinked in confusion. "What are you say-."

Before I could even finish my question, her lips were on mine, kissing me with reckless abandonment. She pushed me against the armrest of the sofa cushions until the back of my head was cradled by the plush pillows. I could feel my breath catch in my throat; my hands moving up and down her back.

To my horror (and great pleasure), I felt my smoking jacket fall away from my shoulders, and then one by one, she began unbuttoning the buttons on my shirt; while her lips trailed kisses down my neck and across my shoulders.  
>It was all I could do not to melt into pure elation.<p>

At that moment, my desire for her was greater than I'd ever felt for anyone.

"Oh Daphne..." I whispered as the kisses continued in the flickering candlelight.

She stopped kissing me for mere seconds while she removed the sheer robe, leaving her bare shoulders exposed. The sight taunted me, imagining the softness of her skin; and seconds later I found that the reality of touching her bare shoulders was a million times more pleasant than I had ever dreamed.

My hands caressed her forearms, sending my mind reeling. The closer I got to her, the more the sandalwood scent of her hair caused me to feel dizzier than would be achieved by drinking an entire bottle of wine.

This time I cupped her face in my hands and kissed her again, until she fell backwards onto the sofa cushions, uttering my name over and over again.

I don't even think she realized that she was saying "Niles" instead of "Dr. Crane."

Nor did I care. At that moment she could have called me "Eddie" and I wouldn't have noticed.

The kisses deepened into the most incredible thing I'd ever felt and I was sure I never wanted this moment to end.

"I love you, Niles." She whispered into my ear.  
>The words were so sweet that tears sprang to my eyes in disbelief.<p>

Those four little words; the words I'd dreamed of hearing for so long, had finally been spoken.

I brushed her hair away from her face and kissed her again. "And I love you, Daphne... more than I ever thought possible."

And then the unthinkable happened. The lights flickered and filled the mansion with brightness, bringing civilization to life once more.


	9. Chapter 9

I pushed myself off of her, and collapsed against the back of the sofa, trying desperately to catch my breath.

It was then that I heard a familiar tune.

I looked at Daphne who was staring at the fireplace mantel. "Dr. Crane, your glockenspiel has sprung to life!"

I looked around, momentarily confused. When the tune chimed again, I knew...

"Oh, the clock!"

Overcome with excitement, I sprang from the sofa and walked to the mantle, picking up the glockenspiel.

"My God! It hasn't run like this in years! Maris will be delighted!" I shouted without thinking.

My eyes locked with Daphne's and I could have sworn I saw her eyes fill with tears.

"Maris..."

For several blissful moments, I had completely managed to forget about my domineering, wife who no longer loved me.

And now I felt... deflated.

Daphne looked away, feigning interest in a piece of artwork hanging on my wall.

"Daphne..."

She turned to me, and my heart broke at the sight of a tear that streamed down her cheek. I reached out to brush it away, but she stepped back, paining my heart even further.

"What's wrong, my angel?"

"I'm so sorry, Dr. Crane."

"I'm not." I said, speaking more honestly than ever before. "Daphne, you've given me what was truly the most wonderful moment of my life. You have no idea how long I've dreamed of holding you in my arms, taking in your exquisite attractiveness, caressing your silky skin, your beautiful hair, your-."

"But it was wrong, Dr. Crane." She said, sobbing now.

I went to her and took her hand, kissing it before caressing it against my cheek.

"How can you say that? You said 'I love you, Niles'. You've never called me by my first name before."

"I do love you... there's no denying that. But your wife, Dr. Crane! What will she think?"

Her heartbroken expression was almost more than I could bear.

I was silent for a minute, thinking of a million things I could have said. But there was only one thing I needed to say... the one thing that mattered...

I swallowed hard. "To hell with Maris."

Her eyes widened. "What?"  
>I sighed, feeling a bit sad when I spoke.<p>

"Maris doesn't love me. If she did, she wouldn't have hurt me with her harsh words; and she would have forgiven me long ago. She'd be here with me. Instead, she's at some... spa in Arizona, having forgotten all about me."

I was amazed at how those words failed to affect me. Perhaps I was really over her.

"I could never forget you, Dr. Crane." Daphne said, reaching out to touch my cheek.

"Oh, Daphne..."

The glockenspiel chimed once more and we exchanged a knowing glance. Outside, the storm had subsided, signaling that Daphne wasn't needed here any longer.

But that's where the heart protests. I needed her more than I'd ever needed anyone.


	10. Chapter 10

"I... think your clothes are dry." I said feeling the dryness of my lips. "I'll be right back."

"Of course."

Reluctantly I left her, moving to the hallway where took one last glance at my goddess before disappearing into the realms of the laundry room.

Minutes later I returned to find her sitting on the sofa, crying quietly and my heart went out to her.

"Here you are, all clean and dry." I said, careful not to startle her.

When she smiled and quickly brushed the tears from her cheeks, I pretended that I hadn't noticed her sadness.

"Thank you. I'll just be a moment." She said, taking the clothes from me and disappearing upstairs.

I poured myself a sherry, knowing that I would remember this moment for the rest of my life.

When she returned wearing the clothing that she had on earlier, I found her beauty still radiated; perhaps even more so than when she had in Maris' nightgown.

"I should go." She said; her voice trembling as she spoke.

I nodded, unable to speak.

The thought of being without her after the passionate moments we shared was more than I could bear.

We walked hand in hand to the door.

I opened the door to the mansion, breathing in the scent of the crisp air and guided her safely to her car.

"It's awfully late and we haven't had any dinner. Since you went out of your way to be so generous as to help me work things out with Maris, can I repay the offer by making you dinner?"

She smiled then. "That's very sweet of you, but I don't want to keep your father and brother waiting any longer. I'm sure they're worried enough as it is."

"Goodbye, Daphne." I said when she had settled herself into the driver's seat of Dad's car.

"Goodbye Dr. Crane... Niles."

I leaned over to kiss her soft lips. "Goodbye, my love."

She'd no sooner turned on the ignition when she broke down in tears.

"Daphne..."

She turned the ignition off and unbuckled her seatbelt and then pushed the door open.

When she was out of the car, wrapped her arms around me. "I can't bear to leave you." She said, sobbing into my chest.

I stroked her hair as I kissed her deeply, sighing when she ran her fingers over my shoulders and back.

"Then don't." I said.

She pulled away and looked at me in astonishment.

"What?"

There in the wet driveway, I lowered myself to one knee. "Marry me, Daphne."

I blurted out.

Dear God, what was I saying? We'd barely just proclaimed our love for one another and here I was proposing?

It was ridiculous.

Quickly I stood and tried to make amends. "Daphne, I'm sorry, I-."

She looked up at me with tear-filled eyes. "That was the most beautiful thing you've ever said to me."

When I took her in my arms again for a kiss I knew that I'd remember for the rest of my life.

I brushed the hair from her face and kissed her again, softer this time. "You'd better go. Frasier and Dad are waiting for you."

Never taking her eyes off of me, she returned to the car and started the ignition.

"I love you... always." She said kissing me one last time before carefully pulling Dad's car onto the glistening street.

When I watched her drive away and finally disappear around the corner, I hardly noticed the pain I felt of losing her.

For I knew that she'd be my wife someday.

And all because of a dreamy, stormy night.

**THE END  
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